A Born Coward
by Mademoiselle Z
Summary: Onesided!AkaKuro, Onesided!MayuAka .-. He had not get a chance to confess the overflowing feelings he had. Please do tell him, on who else he could dump all his unrequited overflowing feelings into, if it was not the person who stood right in front of him?


**OMGOMG HAPPY BDAY MY BBY AKASHI 3**

**this is all I can do for his bday. I too am currently stuck on seemingly-neverending writer's block and depression of the loss of my laptop.. orz this is unbetaed as I want this to up as fast as I could.. and I'm sorry to make Mayuzumi as if he knew everything.. orzorzorz**

**this is based from GUMI's song Amanojaku / A Born Coward / Heaven's Weakness. I know somebody had made an AkaKuro video with that song.. can't help but write this. oAo that's one tearjerker song oAo**

**a BORN coward.. for Akashi's BIRTHday fic.. see the hidden message? xDD;**

**I'd like to make something simpler, tho! and birthday related. but I don't-**

**how do I speak english? the more I write a/n the more I'm confused.**

**ANYWAY, enjoy? owo**

* * *

**Kuroko No Basuke (c) Tadatoshi Fujimaki**

**A Born Coward (c) 164**

**I earn no profit from the making of this fanfiction, purely for personal use and public's free amusement.**

* * *

"Game ends! Fifteen to five for Team A's victory!"

For today's practice, Rakuzan's coach had decided to throw a three-on-three game. Akashi teamed up with Mibuchi Reo and Hayama Kotaro and won against the team B.

"It's nice to loosen up a little, yes?" Mibuchi gently said as he gave Akashi a towel. "Sei-chan, what do you plan after the practice ends? Practice will end early, after all, due to coach's absence."

Right. Coach Shirogane could not make it to this evening's basketball practice, and he decided to have the team relaxed a bit. Interhigh was, after all, over. Everyone took it as a reward for gaining yet another victory, not for lazying around snobbishly like Touou might do if they had won.

"Maybe I will go for some physical exercise." Akashi answered, wiping his sweat with the towel.

"Gonna hit the gym again?" Hayama grinned.

"Cancel your plan, we will have okonomiyaki!" The sisterly male said excitedly. "Who wants to join us?"

"I will, I will." Nebuya said.

"You plan to eat every okonomiyaki they have in the restaurant?" Hayama laughed.

"C'mere, Sei-chan!" Mibuchi called him to the changing room. "Have fun with us even just once in a while!"

Normally, Akashi would refuse. Team-bonding outside the court wasn't necessary to him. But, if the coach wanted him to relax, then he shall do it.

"Okay. Just get showered properly."

"Of course!"

"Not you, Reo. I mean Kotaro."

"Ha-ha!"

Though, in the end, Akashi decided to leave earlier than the rest of the team. No one could even guess that there was something wrong with Akashi since he was always act as antisocial as ever.

He let himself fell onto the bed effortlessly. Unnecessary houghts filled the usual brilliant mind.

Aah... he let a certain bluenet haunting his mind yet again.

* * *

_"Akashi-kun... do you have someone you like?"_

_A long pause._

_"No one in particular."_

* * *

Rain poured on all over Kyoto.

Akashi stood before a closed store, merely sheltered himself, waiting for the rain to stop.

Really, he knew he should have brought his umbrella. He was just too lazy to bring anything only for a walk around the neighborhood and decided to go home when the sky show any chance of rain. Unfortunately, overthinking caught him once again.

"Akashi?"

The redhead rose his head to see the person who called him. It was Mayuzumi Chihiro, with umbrella in his hand.

"Ah..." all he could managed to say.

"What are you doing here? Sheltering?"

Akashi nodded. "I forgot to bring my umbrella."

Akashi could see Mayuzumi parted his lips slightly, as if that fact was too shocking.

"We can share the umbrella. Show me the way to your home." Mayuzumi said calmly.

Akashi politely shook his head. "It'll be troublesome for you."

"Nah. It's okay. I have something to talk to you, anyway."

Puzzled, Akashi nodded once again and let the older male to get him home.

And it didn't really took Mayuzumi long to notice that the way they were heading to was the neighborhood of the richies.

"So," Mayuzumi spoke. "Are you always like this?"

"Care to elaborate?"

"That you have never enjoy yourself after gaining a victory from a championship."

Akashi almost snorted. "Victories aren't for amusement." Akashi stated, as if the fact was obvious to anyone else.

And Akashi stated it that way, as if the fact was obvious to anyone else.

"Oh, right." Mayuzumi responded boredly. "I have researched about your friend. It seemed that he was depressed about his loss against Touou, but quickly regained himself. Or so I heard."

Akashi ignored Mayuzumi's comment about GOMs. "Friend?"

"That Seirin's shadow."

Akashi did not reply. Eyes widened.

"Ah... or that guy isn't your friend?"

Akashi wished they were friends. At least were certain whether they were friends or not.

That, and Akashi would be the most grateful person in the whole world.

"Not particularly."

"I see." Mayuzumi kept his cool composure. "He did cry, and even had argument with his teammates. But it seemed he already stood so tall."

Akashi smirked. "He used to be a crybaby, I would say."

"Whoa," all Mayuzumi could comment.

It was right. The crybaby weakling of the Teikou had grown into a fine player who could overcome depression of loss, while in the other hand, Akashi hadn't, even in the slightest bit, changed his victor mindset.

He had been moving on, in whereas Akashi himself was stuck since long ago.

"So," Akashi spoke. "What do you want to talk about? We're almost arrived."

"Aah..."

Mayuzumi did not speak, even until both of them arrived. Akashi had to stood still in front of the gate. He was glad the gate was made with roofing, so they did not have to share the umbrella again. Sharing umbrella with a guy, after all, was not an enjoyable thing to do if the said guy was not relationship-wise close.

"Would you like to come inside to talk about it?"

"Nah." Mayuzumi refused. "This will only take seconds. It will be awkward if I talk about it inside your house."

That only provoked Akashi's already curious mind.

"I like you, Akashi."

And those four words shockened the jersey number four of Rakuzan.

"...I'm sorry?" The redhead hoped he heard him wrong. The rain was loud, after all.

"I like you, Akashi." Mayuzumi repeated himself. Even Akashi was wondering how could the older male made a love confession with such blank expression.

However, instead of directly asking the younger male to go out with him, Mayuzumi said, "I know you like Seirin's shadow since a very long time."

"What are you—"

"And calling me as a renewed model of a phantom player just proved that you need something—someone—to help you get over him."

"Like I said—"

"And I know you haven't confessed your love either."

"You don't—"

"So, then... let me replace him and love you the way you want to. I guarantee you not to get you hurt."

* * *

_"Where is Tetsuya?"_

_Strange. It was unlikely of Kuroko Tetsuya to miss a practice, even if the championship has ended already. And according to other Generation of Miracles, he hadn't show up at school either._

_It was bad, Akashi thought. He had something he wanted to tell Kuroko. Something important._

_Then, Akashi laughed bitterly. What was he thinking about? Didn't he hurt the bluenet just the day before?_

_Just then, Akashi found something in his locker._

_Kuroko Tetsuya – Resignation form._

* * *

Akashi winced. On how Mayuzumi knew he had that unrequited feelings on Kuroko. On how he hadn't tell the bluenet about that.

On how Mayuzumi offered such an alluring offer.

Because, please do tell him, on who else he could dump all his unneeded overflowing feelings into, if it was not the person who stood right in front of him?

But, in the end, Akashi smiled softly.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I can."

After all, a person like that would not be found easily.

* * *

_One resignation form was left._

_One Kuroko Tetsuya was nowhere to be found._

_One Akashi Seijuro was stood still._

_One heart was left broken into pieces. _

* * *

"And how long do you plan to stay on like this?"

Akashi smiled, this time bitterly. "Tetsuya would defeat all of us—The Generation of Miracles. Until then... I will wait. And perhaps, I will managed to do something."

He would wait. No matter how many years it would be, no matter how absolute he was, no matter how many times Tetsuya would fail to defeat him... Tetsuya would. Tetsuya would win over him.

And that time, too, Akashi would tell him everything he had been thinking about.

Mayuzumi sighed. "You are a coward, don't you know that?"

Akashi laughed.

"I was born a victor. Was born a coward, too."

* * *

**I don't know if this is angst or hurt/comfort..**


End file.
